Sergeant
by Coltres
Summary: After the Wizard Competition, Max is depressed for being the last and other emotional trouble. He feels a zero and ofter eavesdropping a family conversation he decide to join the army. Not before tell his feelings to his love. Rated T for what will happen in the next chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm working on this one instead of working on "All that remains" because i have a lot of ideas, but I need a bit of time to write them down correctly so I'm doing this; hope you enjoy. This chapter is in Max pow, but I'm not sure that all chapters would be in his pow.**

Chapter 1: Prologue

_Look down, look down  
>Don't look 'em in the eye<br>Look down, look down  
>You're here until you die<em>

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><p><em>I was so near, I could sniff the victory smell, I was almost there, but no, Justin crossed the finish line first, damnit! Justin went out of the Mist's Tunnel followed by Alex and then I went out, last as ever. My eyes watered, I lost, I didn't expect to win, but, as the saying goes, the hope is the last to die. Well, now it's dead. I looked at Justin, his look showed that he was proud to have won, but he wasn't proud of the way he won. Justin was about to cross the finish line when his foot got stuck in a root tree, Alex overtook him but instead of cross the finish line, she came back to free her brother. When Justin went able to move, I was right behind them, and as they started to run to the finish line, I was right there, but I finished third.<em>

_"I declare Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo the family wizard of Russo's family" Professor Crumbs solemnly declared._

_"I can't accept that, Mr. Crumbs, My foot got stuck in a root tree then Alex could've won easily, instead she came back to free me: Justin said " so I think that she deserves the win"_

_"In light of this I declare Alexandra Margarita Russo the family wizard of Russo's family" Crumbs said "then now I have a thing to say, after three hundred years I think that I'm getting older, so I decided to retire from my Headmaster's job and I also think that the best candidate to be the new headmaster of the Wiz-Tech is Justin Russo, so Justin, now you're also a full wizard now._

_Justin and Alex are full wizards? Yes, now it's my turn, they like my family, they won't let me be without powers when my siblings have theirs._

_I waited all the cerimony to have "my turn" and finally Crumbs looked at me and he beckoned to go to him. As soon as I was there he told me "Max I'm very proud of you, you did your best, you fought with all your powers and you did it well" here it goes, nke he'll tell me that he"ll give me full power "be strong" and then he zapped out. The world came crushing on me, I wasn't a wizard anymore. My siblings and my parents were laughing and enjoying their success, no one noticed me and all my sadness._

_We came home and mom started to make dinner_

_"Max" my father told me with a smile " I know that you're disappointed for the wizard competition, but don't worry when you're older, you'll get the family substation"_

_"Really?" I asked my father with a fake smile and fake enthusiasm but he didn't notice "thanks dad, I really appreciate it, you're the best" Are you kidding me? The substation? Do you really think that is as good as to be a magician? No way! And he didn't even noticed my sadness and my fake enthusiasm? I can't believe it, does he really care about me?_

_Mom called for dinner. " Mom, I'm tired and not hungry at all, can I sit on the couch and skip dinner?" I asked her in a sad tone_

_"Sure mi hijo" Mom said_

_I went to the couch and I laid down, I waited a while and I closed my eyes with my head on a pillow, pretending to be asleep, but I wasn't._

_Someone knocked on the door, it was Harper. Fantastic, I love her, but she's my sister's best friend and she's engaged with Zeke, and most of all she's here for my siblings, probably she won't notice my absence at dinner._

_"Did you talk to Max?" my mother asked probably my father._

_"Yes, he was truly happy of my offer" said dad. Truly happy? Really?_

_"But he seems so sad" Mom said_

_"Well he doesn't have his powers anymore, of course he's sad" said Alex_

_"If he have studied more he wouldn't lost them" Justin said_

_"It's not totally his fault, he's dumb" Alex said_

_"Alex!" Harper said_

_"She's right" Justin said_

_"Mr and Mrs Russo?"_

_"Well he's not the smartest" Jerry said_

_"I can't denied" Theresa said_

_I cried silently, my family never trustes in me. Tears were falling from my eyes. A hand grabbed gently my head and positioned it on a lap, then I heard Harper voice tell me that she would meet me later in my room. Thirty minute later Alex woke me up from my fake sleep and I went to my room._

I slammed my fist on the wall as I came to my room. Why am I so dumb? Why didn't I notice earlier that my family doesn't have hope in me? Why am I such a leftover? Why can I be compared to a zero? Maybe because I'm a zero

Do they love me? Yes because I'm their son or brother, do they like me? Hell no.

Why didn't they just told me "Max, you're dumb, don't belive to have any possibility to win the Wizard Competition, in fact you finished third, the last of the looser, a zero"

I was crying, I buried my face in the pillow and screamed in it. They didn't said anything that I didn't know, of course I noticed that I am not the smartest as Justin, or the most clever, like Alex. But words hurt like knives, like the sharpest blade, and listen that your family think that you're hopeless doesn't make you want to live.

Live. My eyes focused on the razor that I used to shave me that morning.

I never been part of the family, would they care if I kill my self right now. They forget about me, sometimes they forget about my special date, like my birthday, three times they forgot actually. The 15th of March of 2000, 2005 and 2011 also known as my fifth my tenth and sixteenth birthdays. When I had been operated for my appendix they didn't noticr that I was sick for a week with a huge fever, a tons of times they forgot to bring me home after a party or a date and I have to walk for hours to reach home if they don't notice my absence however not until a couple of hours.

Do they care about me? I don't know. I stood up, grabbed the razor and I sat down again on the bad.

At least my siblings love me. Well I remembered when I was four and got stuck above the tree, I was crying fearful for the altitude and my siblings were laughing at me, mom didn't even punished them when I got down from the tree alone. I can't remember a single gift, a single present they gave me, not at Christmas, neither at my birthdays, instead every year, for every festivity and birthday, with my little money I bought them presents. I can't even remember last time they said me "I love you". I don't know if my siblings love me.

I put the sharp blade against my wrist.

Maybe it's my fault, well, maybe, certainly, Justin always tells me that all the things I do are wrong and that I ruin everything. Mom and dad loves me. No, maybe mom, even if she doesn't spend the same time with me than the time she spend with Alex and Justin. Dad hates me, he ever thought rightly that I'm hopeless, and he doesn't want to be alone with him because I get on his nerve even if I didn't do anything. He didn't give me a proper education in magic.

I made a little cut on my wrist.

I didn't want to think to Harper, but against my will I did it. What can I say? I love you Harper, it's sad that I can't tell you my feelings because of Alex; I always loved you. I remember the first time I saw you. I remember that "Hi Max, I'm Harper, you're sister friend, you're so cute" when you were five and I was four. I remember my first birthday after we meet each other, that you presented you're self at the door with a small present saing "happy birthday Maxie" and the look of my family which forgot about it. I remember the first moment alone, the first caress, the first cheek kiss. All little things that meant a lot to me. I remembered the first I like, the Alex glare and your embarrassment, followed by my idiotic attempt to make it an innocent joke. I remember the night sleepless thinking about you, I remember when you engaged Zeke and my jealousy, the tears when I saw you to kissing.

I wanted to end my life , I made an other little cut, a little amount of blood running down of it. I can't do it, I'm too scared and fearful to end my life.

If you were here right now, you would laugh. You always said that I should join the army, because of my slender body and my good musculature. You're big great Max too weak to end his life.

Join the army, I have nothing to lose, maybe they would respect me, don't laugh at me, thinking "he's weird" or "he's awkward" or also "he's a zero and a leftover". I knew what I had to do, I had just done the biggest decision in my life. I was started to feel dizzy, the little amount of blood lost, wasn't that little. The door swung open.

"MAX" she screamed. She ran at me and she smacked my razor grabbing hand, letting the razor fall from my hand. She hugged me and I didn't recognise her yet. She glared at me with a worried look and she told me "You idiot, what do you think you're doing?"

Harper. "I'm sorry" I told her " I didn't mean to scare you"

"Well you did, and I'm not going you to do this, you scared the shit out of me, Max Russo"

She got up and she went to the bathroom and took some bandages to roll against my wrist.

As she got back I looked at her with a painful face. Not for the cuts on my wrist but for my feelings for her. "Max are you ok?" She asked "Are you feeling dizzy? Do I have to call the ambulance?"

"No and no Harper, but I have something to tell you"

"Ok but first you have to promise me that you won't do such an idiotic thing as like this, you won't cut another time yourself. Promise me or I'll tell your parents even if I should tell them however."

"I swear to god Harper, I won't cut my self again if this hurt you"

"It hurts me so you promised. I won't tell your parents. Now what were you going to say?"

Here it goes. "Harper, I know it's weird, it's kind of strange, it's impossible for you to understand, because I never been that emotional guy and most of person don't think that I've any emotion, they think also that I eat everything but it isn't true, I don't like mustard, wait I'm panicking and I'm going out of context, I don't know how to tell you, well I love you Harper, I love you since first time we met. I love your smile, I loved your embarrassment, I love your originality, I love the way you see the world, I love your shyness, I love everything of you. I'm sorry for my feelings. It's not my fault. I'm sorry that now I'd ruin everything between us, if our 'relationship' could allow an us, but it's the way I feel. I'm sorry"

She didn't have spoken in three minutes. Shoot. My eyes were watering. "I think I should go" I said

I was almost out of the room when she cried my name. I went back and hugged her "I'm sorry" I apologised again.

"Max I'm sorry, but I am with Zeke, I don't know what to do I-" I didn't let her finish. I crushed my lips on her and I was waiting for her to break and receive a deserved slap. That moment didn't come. Oh shoot, she was kissing back. "Max please no" she whispered. I didn't listen to her and I crushed my lips more furiously than before. I kissed her neck, her jaw, her ear, "I'm sorry Harper forgive me." She didn't say anything. I kissed again her softly and this time she mad a change. Harper took of my shirt, so I did to her. My brain and probably also hers stopped to work. Mine turned on almost thirty minutes later.

We were cuddling. We both were naked and sweaty.

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><p><strong>So? Max decided to join the army and he had sex with Harper, what will happen? What will be his family reaction at his decision? Should I continue this fanfic? Well I'll do either if it is or isn't appreciate *evillaugh*. Please review. <strong>**Hopefully I'll update another chapter of this one before returning to the other fanifc. I also have an idea for another fanfic which will be called "Coming Down" of course from the FFDP's song, Obviously, the main character will not be no one else outside of Max**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: New Day, New Life.

It's a new dawn  
>It's a new day<br>It's a new life  
>For me<br>And I'm feeling good

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><p>It took a moment to realise what have just happend. I turned on my right and I faced Harper. God she's so cute when she's sleeping. I caressed her face. She yawned as she started to wake up. She kissed me. "I love you" I said. "Me too Zeke" she yawned. What? Zeke? "Harper? " I said "I'm Max, not Zeke". Her eyes opened wide. She stared at me. She sat up. She was panicking. "Oh god, oh god, what did I just do?" Harper said. "Harper, don't worry" I tried to calm her down. "Don't talk to me Max Russo" she yelled in fury, and without any other words, she dressed her self and she went away. "Please don't go" I cried. She didn't even look at me back. I've just lost the only thing that could change my mind of my decision.<p>

I got dressed and laid in the bad. Tears falling by my eyes. I felt so numb. I stayed like that for an hour. I stood up and I made some research.

As I heard knocking on the door, I turned off my Mac. "Come in" I said. It was Alex. "What do you want?" I asked roughly. "Wow, someone here's in a bad mood" she told me. "Are you going to tell me what do you want or what? " I shouted, irritated. "Maxie don't be-" I cut her of "So?"

She sighed. "We're having a movie night, are you coming? "

"No." I snapped. "Why?" She asked me. "I've something better to do" I said. "Like? " "None of your business."

"And they say that I'm the mean one" she said.

"Whatever" I said. She went out of my room.

Ok, now I've to pack my things. I took two bags and I filled them with the necessary. I only hope that I don't have to do laundry there. I placed my bag under the bed and went to sleep. It's unbelievable that no one knocked at my room for the whole night. Maybe they forgot about my existence.

I woke up at 8.00 in the morning. I washed my self and went down to kitchenn. Even if it was Sunday, everyone was having breakfast. It's going to be a long, long day. I decided to tell my decision to join the army at launch. It would be better.

I think I'm going to Harper's house, I can't leave without see her one more time, and I can't leave until we- I don't know what, but we have to coming out with our feelings. I only hope that she does love me too. She told me ones, yeah but it was thinking about that idiot, dork, useless friend of my idiot brother, of her boyfriend. Oh god and if she doesn't? I think I couldn't live without her. I stared at the bandage on my wrist. I promised it's true, but if she doesn't love me, that solution won't be bad, and if she doesn't love me, I think that our deal won't be effect us anymore. And if-

"Honey, what are you doing there, come here and have breakfast" Mom said. I can't wait one more second, I urgently have to see her. "No mom, I'm not hungry. I'm going out."

"Maxie, soon as you have breakfast and soon you can leave."

She's so pissing me off. "I said I'm not hungry, mother, don't make me fed up." I pleaded. Why am I overreacting like this? It's because of Harper.

"Maximilian Alanzo Ernesto Russo, as long as you live under our roof" started dad "don't you dare talk to your mother like that." Now him too.

"Can you leave me alone as you did all of this seventeen year, can't you?" I can't believe I just said that, I can see his face, it's a mix of fury and hurt "do you want me to have breakfast? " I grabbed the bowl of hot chocolate milk and cereal that mum made me before I get there. "Then have your breakfast" I threw the bowl on the kitchen, breaking the bowl. I could see the furious glare of my parents and the concerned one of my siblings. I groaned as some hot milk reached my bandaged wrist. Justin noticed that.

"What did you do on that?" He asked me. Stupid dork, can't he be such a pain, can he? I think I have to act weird.

"On that what? " I asked. "On your right wrist." He told me.

"Nothing" I said, lifting up my right knee and staring at it, as I think we that my knees were my wrists. He looked at me sympathetically. "That's your knee."

"My bad" I said starting to go to the door. "Wait, you're not going anywhere" he stopped me.

"Oh c'mon, can you just get your dorky ass away? Can't you?" I asked him.

"Alex reason with him please or I'll hit him." He threatened me.

"Oh no, please, you're too much powerful, you're going to break me with only a caress, I'm so scared" I begged him, obviously sarcastic.

"I'm not talking him, I don't want to be treated like yesterday" Alex said. Wow, such a perspicacious girl. How does she know that I'll snap her back?

"Poor little girl" I mumbled, sarcastically again. "Well, I'm going out, peace."

Justin placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me again. He was clenching his fist, his knuckles white. "Do you know how to hit someone instead of clenching your fist in a dramatic way? I'll show you how to do it." I punched him in the face, on the jaw. He stepped backward shocked. I glared at him, 'that's for keeping your power even if you don't deserve it, idiot' I thought. As my mum strated to yell at me, I went out.

I don't know why, but I think that I won't tell they my decision at launch.

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><p>Harper I need you.<p>

Please answer me, it's almost five minutes that I'm keep knocking on your family's apartment's door.

She finally opened the door.

"Please Max go away even if I want you there." She wants me, I love her.

"Harper please I'm so sorry, we shouldn't have do that but I don't regret it, and you know why? Because I love you Harper, I love you so much, I can't think to live without you, knowing that you're mad at me, please Harper, I know that my feelings certainly aren't returned from you, but please don't hate me, I can't take it. I can't go to New Jersey and join the army without your love. " I was crying, fuck, I didn't want to cry in front of her, I wanted to stay strong.

"Max Russo, I do love you, but how can it keep going? I'm your sister's best friend, I'm engaged with Zeke, I don't want to break his heart apart, I'm almost a part of your family, how can we do this? They would be mad at us, and when they would discover that-" her sob stopped her, she was crying, a lot. I hugged her.

"And now that you're what, Harper?" I asked

She looked at me, astonished. "What can it be happened after what we did yesterday? " she asked.

"Should I know?" Really I don't know.

"Max, I'm pregnant of you." She told me.

I let go the hug. What? No she's joking. "Max, I'm so sorry, I didn't have to, I should have kept my control and-"

"Harper, what are talking about, that's awesome, we're gonna have a child, that's wonderful."

"Max, really? I've just turned eighteen and you're not major yet, I can't find the wonderfulness in this"

"it's wonderful because I love you and no matter what, a part of me will always be with you, and I'll be to."

"But we're so young, Maxie"

"So what? We can make it."

"I don't know Max."

"Everything will be fine. "

"How? Now you're going to New Jersey, and you'll be gone."

"I'll do only the training, it lasts eight months, I'll be back before you, you know what."

"But-"

"Do you trust me Harper? "

"Yes Max"

"Everything will be fine." I kissed her. She hugged me, probably she melted inside. "Everything will be fine." She repeated.

* * *

><p>Twenty-eight missed calls.<p>

Ten from Justin, seventeen from Mom and Dad, and, incredibly, one from none other than Alex Russo in person. I won't phone back, that's for sure. I think I'll have lunch outside. I wrote a message to Alex: "Don't wait me for lunch, idk for dinner"

I had launch and I spent some time thinking, it was wonderful to have a baby, should I tell it to my parents? Should I even tell my moving to New Jersey military academy? Well it's half past six, I have to go home.

I opened the our apartment's door, and I was welcomed by some not so friendly yells. Should I face them or sprang my self in my room? I'll chose the second one

"What's for dinner? " I asked

"What's for dinner? Ah what's for dinner? You vanished for the past ten hours and all that you say it's what's for dinner?" My mum yelled. I wasn't in the mood to have an argument so I cut it off.

"Are you going to answer me or what?" I arshly asked

"Max Russo, you're getting in a lot of trouble and-" my dad was saying before I interrupted again.

"Yeah, whatever" and I went to my room.

I wasn't alone in the room, I could feel it. A vanilla scent, Alex's typical.

"Alex" I said "the fact that I'm no more a wizard doesn't mean that I'm idiot, you can show yourself". Alex invisibility spell went off.

"What's going on with you?" She asked. I ignored her. I laid down on the bed, I took my earphone and I turned up the music's volume, as if I wanted to break my ear.

She silenced that with a spell. "it isn't polite, you have to answer when your big sister ask you something."

"I don't see you like a sister anymore, problem resolved." I said, looking in her eyeballs.

She glared at me and she slapped me in the face hardly; did she just slap me, didn't she?

I got up, madness in my eyes, I punched powerfully the wall beside her, she looked at me with fear. The door now have a little hole which fits my knuckle perfectly. "Get out right now" I ordered.

She didn't move. "Are you stupid? I said get out" I said again. Her reaction was the same of the first time. I grabbed her by the leg and I lift her up, then I threw her out of my room roughly.

I totally need a 'cigarette'. I took one by my 'secret place' and I got in the bathroom. No one knows that I smoke, it would be more trouble for me. I opened the window and I lit the 'cigarette' up. Much better. I looked outside, the night sky was beautiful, full of stars.

"How long have you been smoking?" A male voice asked behind me. Justin.

"Do you care?" I snapped back.

"Of course, your my little brother, I have to keep you safe." He said

I inhaled, avoiding his question

"This isn't tobacco, is it?" He asked again.

I ignored him again, maybe he'll leave.

"You didn't answer at my question this morning. " Will he ever live, won't he?

"Please Maxie answer me, in one day I discovered that my brother smoke weed, cut his self and god only knows what else, have I the permission to be worried?"

"I'll answer you tomorrow Justin, now get the fuck out." He surprisingly left.

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><p>Surprisingly, dinner went straight, neither Justin or Alex, told anything about what happened earlier. I felt numb for my behaviour. I didn't want to face my family in the morning. Obviously I didn't told them about the army. I didn't want to tell them. I decided to leave without any word. At three in the morning, I took my bags and I caught the pullman that goes to New Jersey.<p>

I sent a message to Harper, yeah, it's mean but I didn't have time to go to her. The messages said 'I love you.'

I arrived in New Jersey in the early morning.

New day New Life.


End file.
